Support stand



E. W. MOATS SUPPORT STAND May 4, 1965 Filed July 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EARLMMOATS AGENT 4, 1965 E. w. MOATS 3,181,891

SUPPORT STAND Filed July 5, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

E ARLMLMOATS AGENT United States Patent 3,181,891 SUPPGRT STAND Earl W. Meats, Brownstown, P2,, assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New Holland, Pin, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 5, 1963, Ser. No. 292,872 8 Claims. -(l. 2tttil'75) This invention relates to means for supporting the overbalanced end of a trailer-type vehicle draft tongue when the draft tongue is disconnected from its propelling tractor.

It is an object of this invention to provide a retractable support stand for a vehicle draft tongue when the latter is not supportingly connected to a towing tractor.

It is another object of this invention to provide a draft tongue support stand that automatically adjusts its length, during the process of unhitching the draft tongue from a towing tractor, to lift the draft tongue coupling member slightly off the tractor drawbar to permit easy removal of the coupling pin.

It is another object of this invention to provide a draft tongue support stand whose length adjusts automatically to compensate for irregularities in the ground to support the draft tongue coupling member at the proper height for withdrawal or subsequent engagement of the coupling pin with the draft tongue coupling member and the tractor drawbar.

It is another object of this invention to provide a draft tongue support stand whose length is readily manually adjustable to change the height of the draft tongue coupling member to register with tractor drawbars of different heights.

It is an other object of this invention to provide a draft tongue support stand adaptable to remote controlling to enable the operator to disconnect or connect the tractor and trailing vehicle without leaving the operating station on the tractor.

It is an other object of this invention to provide a draft tongue support stand which is positively latched in raised transport or lowered support positions and which provides maximum road clearance when in transport position.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent upon reference to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a tractor and attached trailing vehicle and showing an application of the draft tongue support stand of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the support stand of FIG. 1, showing the stand in transport position in solid lines;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to PEG. 2 showing the support stand in support position relative to the draft tongue;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken generally on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of a portion of the support leg of the draft tongue stand of the present invention and showing how the length of the support leg may be adjusted by a manually operable lever; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line as of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, the reference numeral it indicates, generally, a conventional farm tractor having a rearwardly extending drawbar H. The numeral 12 indicates, generally, a trailer-type vehicle having a forwardly extending draft tongue 14. The draft tongue 14 carries at its forward end a coupling member, or clevis, 15. The drawbar 11 and the arms of clevis 115 are perforated to receive a coupling pin 16.

The support stand of this invention is mounted on draft tongue just rearwardly of clevis 15. A pivot member in ice the form of a bolt 18 extends transversely through the draft tongue 14. A generally U-shaped yoke member 19 has its legs carried on pivot bolt 18 at the sides of draft tongue 14.. The bight portion 2% of yoke 19 is disposed on the underside of the draft tongue. A support leg generally indicated by the numeral 21 is welded, or otherwise rigidly attached to the bight portion 20 of yoke 19. Support leg 21 has a hollow first, or upper, section 22. This first section is of square cross section and slidingly receives a second leg section 24 therein for telescopic extension and retraction. As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower or second leg section 24 of support leg 21 has a longitudinally extending groove 25 formed therein. A detent 26 formed on first section 22 of support leg 21 projects into groove 25. Engagement of detent 26 with the upper end of groove 25 (the right end as seen in FIG. 2) forms a limit stop to prevent second leg section 24 from pulling completely out of first section 22. A conventional ground shoe 28, having ribs 22 or equivalent friction means on the underside thereof, is pivotally connected at 30 to the end of second leg section 24 projecting outwardly of first section 22.

Second support leg section 24 has formed therein a series of ratchet teeth 31. A locking pawl 32. is pivoted on bolt 34 between a pair of lugs, or cars, 35 formed on first support leg section 22. Pawl 32 engages ratchet teeth 31 through an opening 36 formed in first leg section 22. A spring 38 biases pawl 32 toward engaged position. A lever-like cam follower 39 has one end welded or otherwise rigidly attached to locking pawl 32. Cam follower 39 extends upwardly and rearwardly (as seen in FIG. 3) from pawl 32 to a cam plate 40. Cam plate 40 is carried by a mounting bracket 41 which is welded, or otherwise rigidly attached to draft tongue 14 at one side thereof on top of the tongue. A clamping bolt 42 is carried by bracket 41 and extends through an arcuate slot 44 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in cam plate 40. The main support stand pivot bolt 18 extends through cam plate 40 and provides a pivot axis about which the cam plate may be swung, Within the limits of arcuate slot 44, when clamping bolt 42 is released. Sliding of cam follower 39 over the contoured edge of cam plate 40, when the support leg 21 is pivoted between its lowered support position (FIG. 3) and its raised transport position (FIG. 2) effect engagement and reiease of pawl 32 with ratchet teeth 31.

To effect the swinging of support leg 21 between transport and support positions, an arcuate arm 45 is pivotally attached to the first, or upper, support leg section 22 on a pivot pin 46 mounted on one side of first leg section 22 (see FIG. 4). Arm 45 extends through vertically aligned holes 48) and 4.9, respectively, in the bottom and top sides of draft tongue 14. A pair of notches 50 and 51 are formed in the rear edge of arm 45. These notches are so located that notch 50 engages the rear edge of slot 49 in the draft tongue when support leg 21 is in transport position and notch 51 engages the rear edge of slot 49 when support leg 21 is in its vertical support position. This may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively. Engagement of notches St or 51 with the rear edge of slot 49 serves to latch support leg 21 in support and transport positions. As best seen in PEG. 4, a small cylinder 52, slidably carrying a pin or piston 54 in its bore, is rigidly attached to the upper surface of draft tongue 14 just forwardly of slot A spring is compressed between the forward end of pin 54 and the closed forward end of cylinder 52. The rear end of pin 54 bears against the forward edge of arcuate arm 45'. Thus, spring 55 acting through pin 54 biases the rear edge of arm 45 into engagement with the rear edge of slot 49. The slots 49 and 48 are of sufficient length to enable notches 5t) and 51 to be disengaged from the rear edge of slot 49 upon forward pivoting of arm 45 about pivot pin 46.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cable 56 or other flexible member may be connected to the upper end of arm 45 and to the drawbar coupling pin 16 and hung on a stanchion 58 (FIG. 1) carried by draft tongue 14. This places cable 56 within reach of the tractor operator.

The operation of the support stand in connection with coupling and uncoupling the trailer from the tractor is as follows: assume that the trailer 12 is coupled to the tractor and that the support leg 21 is in transport position as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. To uncouple the trailer, the operator first disengages the notch 50 in arm 45 from slot 49 in the draft tongue by pulling forwardly on the portion of rope, or cable, 56 which is connected to arm 45. As soon as notch 50 is disengaged from slot 49, the support leg 21 drops under the influence of gravity from the raised generally horizontal transport position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 to the intermediate position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2 wherein the ground shoe 28 engages the ground. Note in FIG. 2 that pawl 32 is held disengaged from the ratchet teeth 31 on the second leg section 34 by 'cam 40 and cam follower 3?. Thus if the second leg section 24 is not already fully extended, it is free to slide out of the first section 22 to its fully extended position, under the influence of gravity, as the support leg swings downwardly about pivot bolt 18. Detent 26 and slot prevent the second leg section from falling completely out of first leg section 22. When the second leg section 24 is fully extended, the length of support 21 is greater than the normal Vertical distance between the draft tongue and the ground. When the support leg 21 has dropped to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 2, the operator begins to back the tractor. This causes the second leg section 24 to begin to telescope back into the first section (locking pawl 32 is still held disengaged by cam and follower 39) as the pivot axis (bolt 18) of the support leg 21 is carried rearwardly and moves the support leg 21 toward a vertical position. It will be seen in FIG. 2 that as support leg 21 pivots counterclockwise about pivot bolt 18, cam follower 39 slides counterclockwise over the contoured surface of cam 40. When cam 40 is adjusted properly, the follower 39 drops from the raised portion 59 of cam surface 46 to the lowered portion 69 of cam surface 46 just before the tractor is backed far enough to move support leg 21 into its vertical support position. When cam follower 39 falls from surface 59 into surface 60, pawl spring pivots pawl 32 into engagement with ratchet teeth 31 on leg section 24. This immediately stops the telescopic retracting movement of second leg section 24. Since the support leg 21 is not quite in its vertical position, although it is substantially in its vertical position, when pawl 32 is engaged with teeth 31, the tractor moves backward just a little further until the leg 21 is in the vertical position shown in FIG. 3. At this point, notch 51 in arm 46 engages the rear edge of slot 49 in draft tongue 14 and the upper end 61 (FIG. 3) of upper leg section 22 solidly engages the under side of draft tongue 14. The purpose of having pawl 32 engage teeth 31 slightly before support leg 21 becomes truly vertical is to cause support leg 21 to thrust slightly upwardly on the draft tongue 14 to lift the weight of the tongue off tractor drawbar l1 and relieve any binding action between coupling pin 16, draft tongue clevis 15 and drawbar 11. It may be seen in FIG. 2 that the upper arm of clevis 15 is resting solidly on drawbar 1-1 when the support arm 2-1 is in transport position. In FIG. 3, it may be seen that the upper arm of clevis 15 has been lifted slightly off drawbar 11. The cam adjustment afforded by arcuate slot 44 enables precise control of the point of engagement of locking pawl 32 with ratchet teeth 31. With the mechanism in the position shown in FIG. 3 the tractor operator merely lifts coupling pin 16 from the clevis and drawbar and drives the tractor away.

To recouple the tractor and draft tongue, the operator backs the tractor drawbar 11 between the arm of clevis 15 and aligns the holes for coupling pin 16. He then inserts coupling pin 16 in clevis 15 and drawbar l1 and ulls forwardly on the portion of cable 56 connected to arcuate latch arm 45 to disengage notch 51 from the rear end of slot 49. He then moves the tractor slightly forward to move support leg 2?. to the dotted line position of FIG. 2. At this point the weight of draft tongue 14 is again resting on drawbar 11 of the tractor. He then pulls upwardly on cable :76 to raise support leg 21 to the generally horizontal support position close to the under side of drawbar 14. It may be seen in FIG. 2 that in moving the support leg 21 from the vertical support position to the inclined intermediate position, the operator has moved cam follower 39 from the low portion 69 of the surface of 40 onto the high portion 59 of the cam surface thus disengaging locking pawl 32 from teeth 31. Therefore, as the operator elevates support leg 21 from the intermediate ground engaging position to the completely retracted transport position, the second leg section 24 is again free to slide outwardly to its fully extended position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2.

Sometimes it is desired to connect the trailer to a tractor having a drawbar of different height than that of the tractor from which the trailer was disconnected. The same effect is created if the draft tongue is allowed to rest on support leg 21 on soft ground for a period of time. In the latter case the support shoe 28 may sink into the ground and render coupling clevis 15 too low to be alinged with the drawbar of the towing tractor. The support stand of the present invention is readily manually extended or retracted in the manner shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. A plurality of holes 62 are provided in second leg section 24. A small block 64 is welded to the side of upper, or first, leg section 22 flush with the bottom edge thereof. A hand lever 65, having a right angular configuration, has a circular carnming disc 66 welded on one end thereof. Carried eccentrically in cam disc 66 is a fulcrum pin 67 of such size as to be receiveable in holes 62. Assuming that the leg sections 22 and 24 of support leg 21 were latched in supporting position as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and that it is desirable to elevate the draft tongue 14 (in other words to extend second leg section 24 further out of first leg section 22). The pin 67 of hand lever 65 is inserted into the first hole 62 which is completely exposed below the underside of bearing block 64. As viewed in FIG. 5, the handle 65 is then rotated clockwise to bring the surface of camrning disc 66 upwardly under hearing block 64. Further clockwise rotation of lever 65 after engagement of camming disc 66 with bearing block 64 drives second leg section 24 outwardly from first leg section 22. It will be apparent in FIG. 3 that the angle of the ratchet teeth 31 and the locking pawl 32 are such that they positively prevent retraction of second section 24 while only frictionally resisting extension of second section 24. Thus, the locking pawl 32 does not prevent raising of the draft tongue by manual level 65. The holes 62 in the second leg section act as sockets to receive lever pin 67 and thus provide fulcrum means for the lever.

If it is desired to lower the draft tongue 14 while it is supported on support leg 21, the lever 65 is employed as before described to first raise the draft tongue, or extend second leg section 24, a slight amount so that locking pawl 32 may be manually disengaged from teeth 31 by grasping cam follower 39 and swinging it slightly counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 3; the lever 65 may then be pivoted counterclockwise about pin 67 as seen in FIG. 5 to lower draft tongue 14 by allowing second leg section 24 to retract into first leg section 22 a distance equal to the throw of camming disc 66. The locking pawl may then be allowed to re-enter ratchet teeth 31. If it is desired to further lower draft tongue 14, the above steps must be repeated with fulcrum pin 67 being inserted in the next lower hole 62 in second leg section 24.

While this invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle comprising a support leg, pivot means mounting said support leg on a vehicle draft tongue for vertical swinging movement between a raised, generally horizontal transport position and a lowered, generally vertical support position, said support leg having a plurality of sections, means connecting one of said sections to another of said sections for slidable extension and retraction relative thereto, the length of said support leg when said one section is fully extended being greater than the normal vertical distance between said draft tongue and the ground, a releasable lock member engageable with said one leg section to normally prevent retraction thereof relative to said other of said sections when said support leg is in said support position, cam means operatively associated with said lock member to release the lock member upon movement of said support leg from said support position toward said transport position and to maintain said lock member released until the support leg is returned substantially to its generally vertical support position, and means connected to said support leg for raising and lowering the leg between said transport and support positions.

2. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle comprising a support leg having first and second sections, pivot means mounting the first leg section on a vehicle draft tongue for vertical swinging movement between a raised, generally horizontal transport position and a lowered, generally vertical support position, means connecting said second leg section to said first section for longitudinal sliding extension and retraction relative thereto, the length of said support leg when said second section is fully extended being greater than the normal vertical distance between said draft tongue and the ground, one of said leg sections having ratchet teeth thereon, a locking pawl carried by the other of said leg sections and engageable with said ratchet teeth to normally prevent retraction of said second section when said support leg is in said generally vertical support position, co-acting cam and cam follower means connected to said draft tongue and said locking pawl to disengage said pawl from said teeth upon movement of said support leg from said support position toward said transport position and to hold said locking pawl disengaged from said teeth until the support leg is returned substantially to its vertical support positioning, means connected to said support leg for raising and lowering the leg between said transport and support positions, and releasable latch means to hold said support leg selectively in said transport and support positions.

3. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a veride as recited in claim 2 wherein adjustable mounting means is provided for attaching said cam means to said draft tongue whereby the position of said cam means relative to said draft tongue may be selectively varied to adjust the point of engagement of said locking pawl with said ratchet teeth.

4. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein said cam means comprises a mounting bracket fixedly attached to said draft tongue, a cam plate having an elongated slot therethrough, and a clamping bolt carried by said bracket and extending transversely through said slot whereby said cam plate may be moved relative to said bracket within the limits atforded by said elongated slot upon loosening of said clamping bolt.

5. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein means is provided on one of said leg sections to receive a hand lever and provide a fulcrum for said lever, and means provided on the other of said leg sections in position to be engaged by and receive force from said hand lever received on the fulcrum means of said one of said leg sections whereby said support leg may be extended and retracted by a manually operable hand lever when in support position.

6. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle as recited in claim 2 wherein said means for raising and lowering the support leg comprises a rigid arcuate arm having a lower end and an upper end, means pivotally connecting said lower end to said first leg section, a flexible member connected to said upper end and extending to within reach of the operator of a tractor connected to said draft tongue.

7. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle as recited in claim 6 wherein said releasable latch means comprises a pair of notches in one edge of said arm, one adjacent each of its respective ends, fixed stop means on said draft tongue engageable with the notch adjacent said lower end to latch said support leg in said transport position and engageable with the notch adjacent said upper end to latch said support leg in said support position, and spring means engaging said arm and biasing the notch bearing edge thereof into engagement with said stop means.

8. A stand for supporting the draft tongue of a vehicle comprising a generally U-shaped yoke, pivot means con necting the legs of said U-shaped yoke to the opposite sides of the draft tongue to be supported with the bight f the U disposed underneath said tongue, a first hollow support leg section having one end rigidly connected to the bight portion of said yoke, a second support leg section having one end telescopically received within said hollow first leg section and the other end projecting outside said first section, said second leg section being slidably extendable and retractable relative to said first leg section and said yoke being pivotal about said pivot means to selectively dispose said leg sections in a raised, generally horizontal transport position and a lowered, generally vertical support position, a ground engageable support shoe pivotally connected to said other end of said second leg section, a series of ratchet teeth on said second leg section, a locking pawl pivotally mounted on said first leg section and operable to engage said ratchet teeth and prevent retracting movement of said second leg section, spring means biasing said locking pawl into engagernent with said teeth, a cam, means adjustably fixing said cam to said draft tongue, a cam follower connected to said locking pawl and engaging said cam for movement over the surface thereof upon pivotal movement of said U-shaped yoke and said leg sections between said transport and support positions, said cam surface being contoured to hold said locking pawl out of engagement with said ratchet teeth when said yoke and leg sections are in any position other than said generally vertical support position, a member connected to said first leg section and extending upwardly beyond said draft tongue by which said yoke and leg sections may be manually swung between said transport and support positions about said pivot means, and latch means on said draft tongue engageable with said member to latch said yoke and leg sections selectively in said transport or support positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 926,349 6/09 Minnich 280-475 943,024 12/09 Jones 280475 2,309,618 1/43 Hylancl et al 280-4505 2,882,070 4/59 Bill 280-475 A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner. LEO FRIAGLIA, Examiner. 

1. A STAND FOR SUPPORTING THE DRAFT TONGUE OF A VEHICLE COMPRISISNG A SUPPORT LEGS, PIVOT MEANS MOUNTING SAID SUPPORT LEG ON A VEHICLE DRAFT TONGUE FOR VERTICAL SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A RAISED, GENERALLY HORIZONTAL TRANSPORT POSITION AND A LOWERED, GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT POSITION, SAID SUPPORT LEG HAVING A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS, MEANS CONNECTING ONE OF SAID SECTIONS TO ANOTHER OF SAID SECTIONS FOR SLIDABLE EXTENSION AND RETRACTION RELATIVE THERETO, THE LENGTH OF SAID SUPPORT LEG WHEN SAID ONE SECTION IS FULLY EXTENDED BEING GREATER THAN THE NORMAL VERTICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID DRAFT TONGUE AND THE GROUND, A RELEASABLE LOCK MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ONE LEG SECTION TO NORMALLY PREVENT RETRACTION THEREOF RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS WHEN SAID SUPPORT LEG IS IN SAID SUPPORT POSITION, CAM MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCK MEMBER TO RELEASE THE LOCK MEMBER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT LEG FROM SAID SUPPORT POSITION TOWARD SAID TRANSPORT POSITION AND TO MAINTAIN SAID LOCK MEMBER RELEASED UNTIL THE SUPPORT LEG IS RETURNED SUBSTANTIALLY TO ITS GENERALLY VERTICAL SUPPORT POSITION, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT LEG FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE LEG BETWEEN SAID TRANSPORT AND SUPPORT POSITIONS. 